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Note Taking During the Interview
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Often, interviewers must see several applicants before making a decision. No one person can remember everything that is of relevance from so many applicants, therefore note taking is essential. Good notes are an invaluable resource in answering the question, “Why was that hiring decision made?”
Interviewers should use the information collected from questioning, listening, and observing the applicant.
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Do’s |
Don’ts |
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Be transparent about your note taking – tell the applicant that you will be taking notes and that they are welcome to also take notes. |
Do not be secretive about the note taking, as this will make the applicant uncomfortable. |
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Record key words, ideas, behaviour, and examples given. |
Do not take pages of notes, as this will take up too much time and will also leave the applicant not feeling at ease. |
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Use your own form of shorthand; these notes are for your reference, if you can understand them. |
Do not let note taking become a signal to the applicant, e.g. if you always take notes when he/she mentions sports, the applicant will think that this area is important and will then focus on this topic. |
Consider the following tips in taking notes during the interview:
Take notes openly: Explain in the interview opening why you will be taking notes. Write openly but do not let candidates see what you are writing.
Note only pertinent information: Note only information that tells you what you need to know about the candidate.
Note behaviour observed in the interview: It is easy to forget to look for and note behaviour for aspects you observe during the interview, such as communication and impact. Get in the habit of noting behaviour in these dimensions at certain points in the interview.
Take notes on sensitive or negative information carefully: A candidate can become uncomfortable or discouraged if he or she sees you recording sensitive or negative information. Rather than taking notes as the candidate relates the information or immediately afterwards, wait until the discussion shifts to another subject, then note the sensitive or negative information as time permits.
Record key words: Only capture key words in competence evaluation using short verb and noun combinations.
Use personal shorthand; Shortcuts that make note taking easier pay off in increased concentration and energy, which you can use to ask follow-up questions. Any system of symbols and abbreviations is acceptable if you can recall complete descriptions of behaviour when you evaluate and rate candidate information after the interview.